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Stio Malos
Stio Malos Stio Malos was an Inquisitor of Nesarian origin who served in the Dara Mossa, Dara Morca and Dara Misca, but he is most famous for his actions in the Dara Morca. Stio Malos is today immortalised as "the man who loved a demon", and he is the most prominent symbol of the Dara Morca's commitment to only protecting the innocent, not barbarically murdering every monster they came across. Stio was born in 1804 to a family of lower nobility. He quickly developed an obsession with the Inquisition and aspired to join it. Although he was never excellent with the sword, he was a natural marksman and proved to be an exceptionally quick learner. Throughout his life, but especially in his childhood, he had a strong love of reading, particularly the ancient myths from the Age of Titans. Stio joined the Inquisition when he was 16, rapidly proving himself and becoming confirmed as an Inquisitor at the unprecedented age of 17. He joined the Dara Mossa, the order responsible for hunting down criminals that the law enforcement were for whatever reason unable to, and gained a reputation for being effective but also merciful. When the magical revival began in 1829, the Lycanthropes began to return, alongside increased cases of the Affliction and, worst of all, the portals to the Dreadlands re-opened. Stio joined the newly re-invigorated Dara Morca, his resolve only emboldened by the Nesarian Civil War that began a year later, as his duty to protect the innocent became even more important; they faced enough threats from men, let alone monsters. Stio became more proficient with the sword during this time, although it was never his strong suit. He killed two Lycanthropes, three Iskari and two Lesser Demons before taking on the mission that made him famous. Stio was called to Infria in 1831, where a female Lesser Demon had been sighted, terrorising the locals - although no actual attacks had been reported. When Stio found her, she was anything but the monster that the report had described; she was hiding in an alleyway, with no protection against the torrential rain other than the crate she was shivering in, terrified and deeply malnourished. Stio took pity on her, giving her his coat and taking her to a local Inquisition house, where she immediately fell asleep after being fed. The demon revealed her name as Vesha, and she explained that she had been exiled from the Dreadlands for not following the orders of the Greater Demon that ruled her, refusing to come to this universe to massacre the population. Stio and Vesha steadily warmed up to each other, and Vesha decided that she could not stand idly by while the demons made their attacks on the innocent, joining forces with Stio in his hunt for monsters. After their first kill together (an Iskar) in late 1832, Vesha was admitted into the Inquisition at the behest of Stio. After a year of working together, they admitted their love to each other and married in 1833. They could not have children together, but they adopted a baby boy named Velu who had been orphaned by the war in 1837. They worked and fought together in the Inquisition, slaying many more monsters including a Greater Demon together, switching to the Dara Misca in 1852 once magic faded away once again and the portals to the Dreadlands closed. Stio retired in 1867, enjoying a well-earned retirement after 46 years of distinguished service. Vesha retired with him, and they lived together on a farm in Infrishire until Stio's death in 1881. Vesha helped the Cortathian historian Dybach Albena write Stio's tale in 1890, and that is the last recorded instance of her existence. The fate of Vesha is not known, even by the Inquisition or her own adopted son Velu, although he claimed to receive gifts every few months that "only could have come from her". Demons do not die of old age, so if she did not die by some other method, she must have continued to live in secret. Until her disappearance she also retained use of her magic even when it had been lost again to the Elves, so if she still lives, she is likely the only remaining magic user in the world. Legends of a masked female Inquisitor with red eyes, horns and reddish-purple scaly skin are abundant even to this day, and Inquisitors sometimes turn up to reports to find the target already dealt with - but whether these are nothing more than coincidences and fantasy tales remains to be proven, and surely if she still served as an Inquisitor she would have stayed in contact with the Inquisition itself. Regardless of whether Vesha still lives and serves, the legend of Stio Malos and his demon wife is known throughout the Empire and throughout the world. Their tale has been dramatised in many books and movies, and they are possibly the most famous and romanticised image of the Inquisition.